Electric switch.



VM. E. TURNER L R. A. FULTON. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. e, 1909.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

2 gvBBTs-SHEET 1.

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M. E. TURNER 65 R. A. FULTON ELECTRIC SW1-TCH.

,l APPLICATION'PILM AUG. 1909. 1,053,245. Y 'Patented Feb. 18,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATELAS E. TURNER, 0F EAST CLEVELAND, AND ROBERT A. FULTON, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

Application led August 6, 1909. Serial No. 511,608.

To all 'wwm it, may concern:

Be it known that we, MA'rHrAs E. TURNER and ROBERT A. FULTON, residing, respectively, at East-Cleveland and Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanvimg7 drawings.

This invention relates to electric switches, and more especially to a. combination of switches which are adapted to close circuits including a pair of resistances in such manner that when one switch is in operative position` both resistances will be connected in parallel and, when the other switch is in operative position, the resistanoes will be connected in series. the switches being provided with interlocking means whereby the act of'placin: one switch in operative relation to its circuit will automatically causel the movement of the other switch member in the reverse direction to open its circuit.

The invention comprises the combinations of parts by means of which the above object may be realized.

A. further object of the invention is to combine a pair of switch members, operating in the manner aforesaid, with a third membei', with connections so arranged that, by the opera-tion of said third member, either switch member that may be in operative relat-ions to its eirctfit will be returned to inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character that shall be compact in construction and eihcient in operation.

ln carrying out our invention, we provide two switch members ofthe push-button type,

each member being provided with a plunger adapted, when pushed inwardly, to close its circuit. We also provide a third push button and plunger and so connect all of the plungers that, when one is pushed inwardlyV defined as consisting of the combinations of elements and parts embodied in the claims hereto annexed and illustrated in the drawings forming part hereof, wherein- Figure l represents a plan view of a switch constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2. is a. side elevation ofthe same; Fig. 3 a View, partly in section and partly in elevation. illustrating the manner in which one of the switch members closes its circuit and at the same time returns either of the other members to inoperative position; Fig. 4 represents a sectional detail through the switch and through one of the aforesaid plungers; Fig. 5 represents a sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 a somewhat diagrammatic View of the two switch members. and the circuits cooperating therewith.

Describina' the parts by reference characters, l denotes a base, which may be of any suitable insulating material. rlhis base is provided at one end with a plate 2, which is preferably of metal. The base is provided with twopa-irs of contact members, 3 and d, 5 and 6. These contact members comprise each a. pair of jaws 3, el, 5u and 6* respectively, said jaws extending longitudinally of the base. As will appear by reference to Fig. 6, contact members 3 and 5 are connected to one side of the main line (say the positive side) and contact members Ll and 6 are connected to the opposite side of the line (say the negative side), contacts 3 and 5 being connected by means of a suitable conducting plate 'i' and contacts 4 .and 6 being connected by a. suitable conducting plate 8.

9 and 10 denote brackets carried by the base l. The bracket 9 is provided with an. aperture in line with the jaws 3, da andV Vand 4h vided with a pair of contact members 12 and 13 adapted when the sleeve .is moved inwardly with reference to the plate 2, to engage the contact jaws 3n andn. This sleeve is provided internally at a suitable distance from its inner end with pins 14, forming abutments for the spiral spring 15. 16 denotes a rod which is mounted within the sleeve and is of such size as to move freely within the spring. rlhe outer portion of said rod is enlarged, to form a plunger, as shown at 17, and to provide a. shoulder which is adapted to engage the spring 15. 'llhe plunger 17 projects through the plate 2 and is there provided with a push button 18. 19 denotes a cap which is applied to the inner end of the sleeve 11. 'llhe sleeve 11 is provided near its inner end with a slot 20, the inner end otq which is covered by the cap 19, said cap being slotted, as shown at 21, and provided with ears 22 on each side of said sdot for the pivot of a locking member. This locking' member is in the shape of an angle lever comprising two arms 23 and 23, the former of which projects outside of the sleeve 11 and the latter ot' which projects within the same and is provided at its inner end with a projection 25. r1`his projection engages the inner end of a spiral spring 26, the outer end of which may be conveniently carried in a recess 27 in an eX- tension of the cap 19. 'llhe arm 23 is provided with a notch 24, said notch having an abrupt shoulder. which is adapted, when the rod 16 is in its outermost posit-ion, to engage the bracket 9.

From the construction described,it `fol lows that, when the button 18 ispushed in wardly, the spring 15 is compressed until the inner end ot the rod 16 has moved the leverl arm 25 a sucicifent distance to disengage the shoulder on the outer arm from the bracket 9, whereupon the spring 15 drives the sleeve 1lfinwardly and causes the contact members thereon to engage the jaws 3 Further movement ot the sleeve will be prevented by the interlocking of one of the other two members therewith, as will be described hereinaften The parts of the other switch member are identical in construction with those of the one just described. The push button of the other switch member is shown at 18a, the plunger connected therewith at 17, the sleeve at 11B," and the cap' at' 19a. The contactmembers carried thereby are somewhat different from those on the rst member, in order to adapt the second switch member for cooperation with its particular circuit. These contact members are shown at 28 and 29. The former member is adapted,when the plunger isiipressed inwardly, to engage the jaws 5, rlihe latter member is of such length as ,tterg'age notonly the jaws ti, but a jaw or Bone 30 r1`he purpose 'of this arrangeausente to sleeve 11 and 11a except that it does not carry any contact members. The inner end of this sleeve is supported in the outer endy of 'a bracket 31 and has therein the rod 16h and spring 15b. As the locking member and spring therefor are identical in construction with the similar members in sleeves l1 and l1, the samereference numerals are employed for these parts in all three of the -movable members. dt its outer end,'the plunger 17h is provided with the button 18".

32 denotes a stud projecting outwardly from the base l. lever 33 is pivotedat its central portion to said stud, and the opposite ends of this lever are adapted to be engaged by the projections 34,134a on the ends of the sleeves 19, 19a when either of the buttons 18 or 181is pushed inwardly, as will appear from Fig'. 3. rllhe purpose of this construction is to enable either of the switch members to be returnedto inoperative position when the other is moved inwardly to its operative position and serve as a stop'to cause the contact members on either sleeve to remain in engagement with thecontact members of the base. With the parts arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, suppose the button 18a to be moved inwardly. The.

sleeve moves outwardly, the latch 23 drops down to the position shown in Fig. d, locking the sleeve against inward movement until such time as vtlm latch shall be'disengaged by the action of the plunger rod when the push button is moved inwardly. From this construction it tollows that moving the push button 18 inwardly will automatically return the push button 18* and the associated parts to the position shown in Figs. 1

and 2, and that the inward movement of n either of the switch members to close its circuit will cause the outward movement of the other switch member to break its circuit. With these switch members, we employ a third member, to which reference has been made, which operates in substantially the same manner as the switch members and is adapted to move both of said members outwardly and itself to be moved outwardly by both of the switch members, For the. purprojection of the'cap 19". The'lower ends of Y Lal,

arms 37 and 39 allow the plungers connected with buttons 18 and 18l to be moved to either extreme inward position. It will be understood that the vforked lever carried by 36 will not be operated until the vvspring in either of the sleeves 11, 11* or 11" has been struction, it

compressed a sufficient distance to allow the plunger rod in 'such sleeve to unlock the sleeve from the corresponding bracket. When this occurs, the spring drivesA its sleeve inwardly and in so doing` rocks the forked lever and restores to its outer or olf position any other plunger that may have been moved inwardly. It will be observed that the forked lever 'is pivoted nearer its upper than its lower end. This is for the 'purpose of 'compactness of construction, enabling-us to bring the sleeve 11" a d associated parts closer to the switch memy rs.

In Fig. 6 we have shown diagrammatically the action of'the switch members in connection with their circuits. In this tigure, R and R represent resistances, which may be used for heating purposes. 39 denotes a conductor connecting adjacent ends of the resistances to contacts 5; 40 and 41 denote conductors connecting the other ends of said resistances to contacts 3 and 4 respectively. 4'2 denotes a conductor connectin to the contact30 the same end of the resistance R as is connected to contact 3, while 43 denotes a conductor connecting to contacts 6 the same end of resistance R as is connected to contacts 4. Contacts 3 and 5 are connected to the same side'of the main line (positive or negative) by a conductor 44, while contacts 4 and 6 are connected to the opposite side of the line'(negative or positive) byi conductor 45. From this conthecontact members 12 and 13 thereon will connect the resistances R and R in series and that the sleeve 11a when moved inwardly will connect the ifesistances R and R iii multiple.

is pushed inwardly,

For the purpose of indicating which combination of resistances is in operation, the switch ma be provided with lamps 46 and 47 cacho which is adapted to be illuminated only when the corresponding switch button is pressed inwardly. v

The construction described herein provides interlocking means whereby the movement of one switch member will not only follows that when the sleeve 11'.

automatically move the other member and but will also enable. each.

break its circuit, lcircuit to be made and broken quickly vto prevent arcing between the contacts. Furthermore, the construction disclosed herein enables the ope ator to select either circuit directly without passing through any intermediate step.

Having thus described our invention, what. 'we claim 1s:

1. The combination, with 'a pair of contact members, of .a sleeve, contact members carried thereby and adapted to engage the former members, a plunger mounted in said sleeve, a spring insaid sleeve resisting the movement of said plunger therein, a slot vin said sleeve yand a trigger pivoted in said slot 'and lacking said sleeve against movement, said trigger being adapted to be enga ed by the plunger and unlocked when the p unger has been moved a predetermined distance.

2. The combination of a base, two sets'of contacts mounted on said base, a sleeve cooperating witheach set of contacts andl itself provided with contact members, a plunger in each sleeve, 'a spring resisting the movement of said plunger in saidsleeve, means normally locking each sleeve against movementI in a direction to brin its can'.- tacts into engagement with the ase contacts, connectionswhereby the movement of each sleeve by its-spring will be prevented until the corresponding plunger has been moved a predetermined distance, and an interlocking connection between said sleeves whereby the movement of either sleeve in a direction to' bring its contact in engagement with the coperating base contacts will cause a reverse movement of the other sleeve.

3.-The combination, with a-contact member, of a sleeve, a coperating contact member carried thereby and adapted t0 en age the former member, a plunger mounte in said sleeve, a spring in said sleeve resisting with a stop, and a stop for said locking member, the inner end of said lever being adapted toy be engaged by theplunger when the latter has been moved a predetermined distance against the resistance of the firstmentioned spring.

4. The combination, with a pair `of elec- Vais tric circuits, of a pair of longitudinally n movable switch members, one for each circuit, a third longitudinally movable mem ber extending substantially parallel with the first-mentioned members, a lever pivoted intermediate of its ends and adapted to engage the ends of the first-mentioned ineinbers when either of said members is in its on position', and e three-armed lever adapted to be engaged by any one of said members when in on position and to be operated thereby to restore either of the,

other members to off position.

5. The combination with a pair of electric circuits, of a longitudinally movable switch member for each circuit, eachl switch comprising a longitudinally slidable' sleeve, a contact member carriedv thereby and adapted to engage. fixed contact members, e plunger mounted in said sleeve, a spring-in said sleeve resisting the movement oit said plunger therein in one direction, means locking said sleeve against movement in said direction,said means adapted to be engaged by the plunger and unlocked when the plunger has been moved a predetermined distance, and interlocking connections between said switches whereby the movement ot' either switch sleeve in a direction to close its circuit will automatical y move the, other `switch sleeve in a direction to abruptly open 6.v lllhe combination, with a parir of Contact members, of a sleeve 'member oit insulating material, contact members carried thereby and adapted to engage the tormer members,

a plunger mounted inside seid sleeve, la spring inside said sleeve, abutments certfied by seid sleeve and said plunger between which said spring is compresser., said sleeve also having a slot, and a trigger mounted in smd slot, said trigger being, adapted to retain said sleeve in inoperative position against the forcev of the springand to be tripped by said plunger to allow actuation of the sleeve by theI spring.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a base and a pair of contact members carried thereby, of a switch comprising a pair ot' longitudinally movable sleeves, a plunger mounted in each sleeve, a spring in each sleeve resisting the movement of the plunger therein in one direc tion, locking means for securing each of said sleeves against movement in the dire@ tion of action of said spring, ineens operative upon the forward movement of each of said plungers'itor a predetermined distance against the resist-ance oit its spring for disengaging the corresponding locking .means so as to permit the forward movement of its .corresponding sleeve nnder the action of said spring, contect means carried by oneoit said sleeves end adopted upon the movement of said sleeve in one direction to engage' the former members, end connecting means 'whereby the movement of the other sleeve will cause the shifting oi seid contact sleeve in the opposite direction.

ln testimony vvhereei2 our signatures in the ceses.

MAT?

"Witnesses .tn

il'. B. HULL, S. E., iti-ones.,

we hereunto 'ence of tivo wit- 

